Outline the key ideas of the design argument.

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Introduction

﻿Katherine Brittin ?Outline the key ideas of the design argument.? The design argument is an argument which outlines the key features proving the existence of God. This is also known as the ?Teleological argument? or Telos meaning ?end? or ?purpose? in Greek. It is a posteriori argument, where it is based on the observation of the apparent order in the universe and the natural world, which supports that we are not just here by chance but out of design. It starts with finding meaning and purpose in parts of the world and later moving on to the universe as a whole, looking at the progress of the world and its part towards an ultimate goal. There are two main arguments within the design argument; the first is an analogical argument where an analogy is made between the world or its parts and objects to human design. The second is the inductive argument, which is based on the observation that the universe shows regular motion both in its parts and in the whole, a system that abides by laws or rules. The five key features of the design argument are order, benefit, purpose, suitability for human life and appearance. Paley came to the conclusion that we are put on to this earth for a purpose and that we are not just here by chance. ...read more.

Middle

someone that does have intelligence and God exists as the explanation of beneficial order, the universe cannot be explained because the universe itself is not self-explanatory and does not exhibit intelligence in its own right. One of Swinburne?s arguments which he looked at was the argument of probability. He suggests that the evidence of design and order in the universe increases the probability that God exists. He based his argument on the amount of order which is displayed in the universe. When Swinburne explains regularities, he sees it in terms of other regularities which would lead to an infinite chain that offers no explanation. We can accept them as unexplainable and the regular irregularities of the universe can be explained through science. ?All the regularity in nature would be due to the action of a postulated God, making mature, as it were, performing a great symphony in the way in which a man produces from his throat a regular series of notes?. Swinburne came up with seven observations which he believes increases the probability of the universe being designed. These are the very existence of the universe, the fact the universe is ordered, the existence of consciousness, human opportunities to good, the pattern of history, the evidence of miracles and religious experiences. ...read more.

Conclusion

After his aesthetic argument, Tennant extended the argument to include theories and observations that came from evolution to form the Anthropic Principle. It says it gives reason and purpose for the universe in the support of human life ?As we look out into the universe, and identify many accidents of physics and astronomy that have worked together for our benefit, it almost seems as if the universe must in some sense know that we were coming?. There is speculation about the improbability of achieving conditions in which life does exist, and then indicating a fine-tuned universe purposely made so human life is possible. The Anthropic Principle shows that the design argument does not reject the principle of evolution in order to create a designing God. ?The world is compatible to a single throw of the dice and common sense is not foolish in suspecting the dice to have been loaded?. This suggests scientific explanations of the universe are similar to the design argument because evolution can be seen to be the means which the designer has brought the universe to this point. . It shows the universe is beyond chance, the odds of it coming about by chance are so high that it is rendered virtually impossible. Swinburne supports this with ?the very success of the science in showing us how deeply ordered the natural world is, provides strong grounds for believing that there is an even deeper cause of that order?. ...read more.

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